Re: wet vs dry

["Alan D. Secor" <secor@btv.ibm.com>]

I'm not sure if this made it out the first time so I'm reposting.
Sorry if it is a duplicate.  Also please note...I'm not
flamming anyone and no "negative tone" should be assumed.  I'm
just discussing my opinions and not trying to say one method is
necessarily better than another.  With that out of the way.....


I think I need to clear up some misconceptions....I don't own a Perry
sub and have only been in one once - in the Cayman Islands where anyone
can do the same dive I did to the "Kirk Pride" for $250.  Sorry if I
gave anyone the wrong impression...I was just commenting on Ginger's
question as to how many people actually had ever been in a small sub
before.

As to owning a sub...yes I do, it can be seen either in the psubs
picture gallery or my own webpage:

http://people2.clarityconnect.com/webpages6/wrkdiver/default.html

As to whether or not it will actually ever do a real dive remains to
be seen but I am working on it.

As far as experience, I am a scuba instructor and teach everything
from entry level scuba to nitrox and rebreathers.  My only experience
with subs is from a lot of studying and reading, looking at actual
plans and actual designs, and talking to people who have "been there
and done that".

No I don't own a $20K sidescan sonar (though I'd sure like to!) but I
am building a proton procession magnetometer. (Cheaper than you would
think...less that $100).

My comment before was more directed at the implication that wet subs
were inherently safer than 1 atm dry subs.  I can present scenarios
where a wet sub could be just as dangerous.  I don't see why surface
support is required more for a dry sub than a wet sub of comparable
size.  You still have to get the wet sub to the dive site.  If you
drive it there, there is no reason you couldn't drive the dry sub
there too.  I would think range and battery life would be comparable.
Things could be picked up from the bottom with manipulator arms.  Look
at all the artifacts they brought up from the Titanic!

The only point I'll concede on is that the cost of a wet sub is much
less than that of a dry sub.  Beyond that, I'll take my DPV any day.

This is just my 2 cents (that and $500K will get you a K-350 from Webby)
and not intended to be a flame or any other negative comment.  Just my
humble opinion!

Al Secor

P.S. wrkdiver = wreckdiver (my main interest in scuba diving).  My IP
only allowed 8 characters for a user name and unfortunately most
people confuse wrk with work! (which may or may not be the case ;-)


--
Alan D. Secor
e-mail: secor@btv.ibm.com